Kole Quick Bio: The gentle crystal spinner Kole Weathers gained powers as a product of her father’s bizarre experiments. Kole was rescued by the Titans and grew close to Jericho before her untimely demise in the Crisis on Infinite Earths.

Teen Titans File Photo:

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Hero History

Crystal Clear

Professor Abel Weathers, a reclusive scientist, was convinced that nuclear holocaust was inevitable. He worked on a process where mankind could adapt to post-disaster conditions by forced evolution. His teenage daughter Kole and his wife Marilyn were among the test-subjects on which he performed experiments. Kole was the subject of carbon-silicon grafting with the use of Promethium. Her body did not adapt as expected, and she gained the ability to create and control silicon-based crystal.

The Titans eventually ran afoul of Professor Weathers and his horde of mutant creatures. In the course of the battle, the lab was destroyed, and Professor and Marilyn Weathers and their subjects evolved into a form of insect life that the Titans believed could survive any global catastrophe.

Kole returned with the Titans to New York and lived with Adeline and Joseph Wilson. She and Joseph quickly became close friends. Kole helped out the Titans on a few cases, although she was never officially inducted into the group. She died trying to save innocent bystanders from the Anti-Monitor’s shadow demons during the Crisis. Her body was never found.

ABOVE: Joey says goodbye to Kole – unaware it’s for the last time – in
NEW TEEN TITANS (second series) #14 [1985].
BELOW: The death of Kole in CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS #12 [1985].

Dead Ringers

Some time later, the time-tossed Team Titans investigated a rash of vampire attacks and encountered a mysterious woman that bore a strong resemblance to Kole. The enigmatic young crystal spinner made references to being “nothing alive,” the implication being she may have been a ghost of some sort. After aiding the Teamers, Kole mysteriously disappeared. When various false timelines collapsed as a result of the Zero Hour time crisis, this Kole was revealed to be a construct of the villainous Monarch.

Later, the criminal organization known as the 1,000 did a data search of the Titans, locating all members dead and alive. The results of Kole’s search read “Data Inconclusive.” This hinted that Kole may have somehow eluded death after all.

Powers & Abilities

Kole was subjected to unspecified experiments that enabled her to project crystal forms that could coat another object or form an independent mass. People trapped within the crystal could possibly suffocate if not freed in time, and the crystal was subject to shattering from great force or sound frequencies. Kole’s crystal limitations were unknown, but she was an unskilled hand-to-hand combatant. The teenaged hero was able to form a crystal slide and propel it through the skies for quick transportation.

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Essential Reading

New Teen Titans (second series) #7-10 [1985]: After a series of strange manifestations of flames and dreams, Lilith discovers her true origin as the daughter of Thia, renegade member of the legendary Titans (the predecessors of the Olympian gods). At this time she also learned that Thia had murdered Lilith’s father, as she did all of her many mortal lovers, soon after their daughter was conceived. Thia abducts Lilith and the Titans go to rescue her. The Teen Titans encounter a young girl named Kole, a crystal spinner under the thrall of Thia. The Teen Titans are able to free the Amazons from a crystal prison and defeat Thia’s mythological minions. Hyperion (Thia’s husband) attacks Thia, sacrificing himself to destroy her, and the two perish together in flames. The battle ended, Zeus decrees the surviving Titans and Lilith, who is recognized as a demi-goddess, remain in Olympus. Lilith is officially instated as a goddess and remains in Olympus. First appearance of Thia in issue #7. First appearance of Kole in issue #9. First appearance of Children of the Sun in issue #9. Lilith is proclaimed a goddess and leaves the Titans in issue #10. The events of this issue have been negated by the Crisis on Infinite Earths.New Teen Titans (second series) #10-11 [1985]: Captain Karras is on his way to Earth in order to bring Princess Koriand’r back home to Tamaran; Jericho and newest Titan member, Kole Weathers, become close friends; Sarah Simms has found a new boyfriend, Gary Sellers, and wants to clear things up between herself and Cyborg; Kole and Jericho discover that Kole’s father has turned her mother into a mutant; The Titans gather to battle Dr. Abel Weathers’ mutants. First appearance of Abel Weathers, Kole’s father in issue #10.New Teen Titans (second series) #14 [1985]: Jericho departs for Tamaran and Kole bids him a tearful farewell.Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 [1985]: The heroes rally against the forces of the Anti-Monitor, including his Shadow-Demons. Kole tries to defend herself, as well as the Earth-2 heroes Robin & Huntress. The three heroes are seemingly consumed by the Shadow-Demons. Death of Kole.Team Titans #8 [1993]: The future-Nightwing has been attacked by the mysterious figure [later revealed to be a transformed Raven, having corrupted future-Nightwing with a 'Trigon seed']. This triggers startling changes in him, as he adopts the name Deathwing. Meanwhile, the Teamers investigate a rash of vampire attacks and encounter a mysterious woman that bears a strong resemblance to the dead-Titan, Kole. As they investigate further, they come across a nest of vampires. Later, as Deathwing is reunited with an amorous Mirage, he plans on attacking her. First appearance of Kole since her death in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12.Team Titans #9-10 [1993]: After a night of passion, Deathwing savagely attacks Mirage, leaving her devastated. A new group of scientifically created vampire hordes tempt Dagon to join them. The Teamers battle the vampires as Dagon resists them. Kole enters the fray, using her crystal spinning powers to refract the sunlight to destroy the vampires. She then mysteriously disappears. Deathwing, Judge & Jury and the mysterious cloaked figure [actually Raven] plot against the Titans teams. Continued in New Titans #100, as Raven and her allies attack the Titans.Team Titans #11-12 [1993]: Battalion decides to set things right between his wife, Essie, and himself. Just one little problem: she’s married to someone else in this time. As Battalion confronts Essie, Kole appears and helps him realize it isn’t the same woman he knew. Meanwhile, a Chaos Robot hunts Team Titans in the present. Metallick and the Teamers are unable to save a Titan known as Sunburst, as he is destroyed by the Chaos-drone. Only with the intervention of the mysterious Kole is the Chaos-drone destroyed. Later, in issue #24, her body was seen in the background of Monarch’s lair (who was revealed to be the Team Titans’ leader, engineering super-powered teens to be his army). This hinted that this new ‘Kole’ was part of his manipulations.The Titans Secret Files #2 [2000]: In a two-page spread, the criminal organization called the 1,000 does a data search of the Titans, it locates all Titans, dead and alive. The results of Kole’s search read: Data Inconclusive. This hints that Kole may still be alive in some shape or form.Teen Titans (third series) #30-31 [2005]: Brother Blood resurrects dead Titans – Kole, Aquagirl, Lilith, Phantasm and Hawk & Dove – to serve as his zombie army.

A Kole convention sketch by Jose Garcia-Lopez.

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Kole’s Pre-Crisis History

In 1985, DC Comics attempted to streamline and modernize their characters with the Crisis On Infinite Earths. Within the 12-issue mini-series, time and space twisted, forever altering the histories of various heroes in its wake. This gave DC an opportunity to go back and revise some of the more out-dated elements of the DC Universe – but it also introduced a host of unforeseen continuity problems.

Many Titans characters had their origins and histories altered. In the Post-Crisis universe, Wonder Woman was relaunched in modern day. This beget changes to Donna Troy’s history as Wonder Girl, which were later addressed in New Titans #50-55 [1989], wherein Donna was retro-fitted as an adopted child of the Titans of Myth. These alterations invalidated some of Kole’s story as told in New Teen Titans (second series) # 7-10. Below is their original origin, with ties to the Titan goddess, Thia.

Kole’s Pre-Crisis History
[from DC Who's Who Series]

Convinced that civilization was destined to be destroyed by nuclear proliferation, and in order to prevent such an extermination of all mankind, Professor Abel Weathers devoted his life to researching forced evolution. His studies led him to experimentation with insect life forms and crystallization. Evolving other life forms into either pattern, in hopes these new forms would enable them to survive a nuclear attack. An early experiment was performed on his teenage daughter, Kole, imbuing her with crystal powers, but her body did not adapt as Weathers had anticipated.

The mad sun goddess Thia kidnapped Kole from her parents’ home in Manhattan and took her to Mt. Olympus, where she was forced to construct a crystal palace inside which Thia’s prisoners could be kept. For two years the young woman was terrified by the gods and she did as she was ordered without question. Thia’s bid for conquest, however, was thwarted by the Teen Titans. and Kole was freed. Kole rejected an offer to remain on Olympus in order to reestablish her life on Earth and find her parents. Kole was attracted to the mute hero Jericho, and he helped Kole relocate her parents, who had moved to an isolated New York State retreat.

There Kole was shocked to see that their zealousness had affected their minds. With the help of the Titans, her parents’ laboratory and enforced experiments were destroyed. Kole’s parents and the other successful experiments were finally turned into pure insect forms that were certain to survive any nuclear war. Although Kole was never officially a member of the Teen Titans, she joined them on many cases. Culminating in the devastating Crisis on Infinite Earths, where she ultimately gave her life to protect her fellow citizens.

A Kole 2009 commission by Jose Garcia Lopez, from the collection of Tarcísio Aquino.

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Creating Kole

George Pérez on Kole [from Comics Interview #50, 1987]

ANDY MANGELS: What’s the true story behind Kole and Azrael? Did you create those characters?

GEORGE Pérez: I actually designed it entirely differently. There is a drawing I did of Azrael that doesn’t look anything like Jose Luis Garcia Lopez’s version of Azrael. Originally, Marv came up with the idea of an angel at the time I was still on the book. Then, when I left the book, I thought it would be unfair for Jose, with his design sense, that every character he does is based on a George Pérez design, since Azrael was never printed. So I let him design Azrael, and while he was on the book, he was also entitled to design Kole. Even though Kole was printed in CRISIS before she appeared in TITANS, that was because of the timing – I had gotten the xerox of Jose’s pencils. Jose designed both of them. Azrael was originally designed looking totally different, and Jose came up with his own version; he never saw mine – No one has seen mine except for Marv.

ANDY: Was Kole created to die?

GEORGE: Yes. I told Marv, “If we create another Teen Titan, then we better create a woman who’s going to survive.” So far, he’s created one new male Titan, he’s alive. Creates two female Titans, they both die. (Laughter.) Something he has about these girls – he’s constantly, you know, killing them off.

A Kole commission from George Pérez – courtesy of Marcus Mebes.

Marv Wolfman on Kole [from The Titans Companion, 2005]

TTC: This was the period when Kole was introduced. Can you explain what the origin behind that character was?

MW: Well, simply put, in Crisis the call went out for characters who we’d kill or not kill or do damage to. [laughs] I’m saying this a very cruel fashion right now, and it wasn’t done that way, hopefully, back then. Everyone was required to give us somebody in some fashion, and quite frankly, I created Kole specifically for that purpose. It was to die in Crisis.

TTC: Once Jose designed her and gave her life, did you regret having to do that to her?

MW: Of course. In fact, that’s the best type of character to kill, because she was no longer a wretcher. She was no longer just fodder for the cannon. She was somebody who the readers really got to care for, and therefore it became very hard to kill her, but it meant that her death meant something.

TTC: Do you remember bringing her back briefly in Team Titans?

MW: No. That book is sort of a cloud in my mind, as was most of the Titans back in that time period.

TTC: Kole wasn’t the only Titan to die in Crisis: Dove and Aquagirl were also killed during that series. If you had wanted to, could you have said, “I’ve already filled my quota of dead Titans. I’m going to spare Kole?”

MW: My view of that was because the other writers were being asked to kill off characters, some for whom they may have been created, I had to show that I was willing to go further and definitely kill off a character that I created. Again, a lot of that’s political. I wish that didn’t have to happen, because I really liked the character, but I had to find some way to say, “You’re not the only ones being affected.”

Jose Garcia-Lopez on Kole [from The Titans Companion, 2005]

TTC: Two new characters appeared while you were the artist: Azreal and Kole. Tell me how you approached designing each character.

JLGL: It was a long time ago, [so] I can’t say too much. I guess Marv gave me a good description and I just followed it. I don’t recall having to do any revisions. The thing I remember is about Kole. Her likeness was that of a real person, somebody very significant to a friend, and I was glad to do it.

TTC: You drew some very touching scenes between Jericho and Kole. Is it more difficult to draw quiet moments like those, or action scenes? And which do you prefer?

JLGL: I don’t prefer one over the other. I think that any story needs a balance between those extremes. It’s good for everybody involved, including the reader. It’s my personal opinion that the regular American comic book is too much action oriented, so I must say that I enjoy those rare moments when I have the chance to make the characters play and not just kick one another.

TTC: Marv Wolfman has said that after he saw the way that you drew Kole, he wished that he didn’t have to kill the character in Crisis. Did you get attached to her, too? Do you wish that she was still around?

JLGL: I’d love to have every character I’ve designed still alive, but it’s impossible, so you learn not to get attached.

Kole from VS Card Systems

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Kole: The Team Titans Connection

Years after her apparent demise in Crisis on Infinite Earths #12 [1985], Kole mysteriously reappeared in Team Titans #8 [1993]. In that issue, the Teamers investigated a rash of vampire attacks and encountered a young woman that bore a strong resemblance to the dead-Titan, Kole. The enigmatic young crystal spinner made references to being “nothing alive,” the implication being she may have been a ghost of some sort.

After using her crystal spinning powers to refract the sunlight to destroy the vampires, Kole mysteriously disappeared in Team Titans #10 [1993]. Redwing attempted to track Kole in issue #11, but was unable to locate the crystal spinner.

In Team Titans #11-12 [1993], Battalion decided to set things right with his wife, Essie. Unfortunately, Essie was married to someone else in this timeline. As Battalion confronted Essie, Kole appeared to help the old soldier accept that this wasn’t the same woman he knew. Kole later aided the Teamers, fending off a Chaos-drone before mysteriously slipping away once again.

ABOVE: The enigmatic Kole aids the Team Titans in TEAM TITANS #10 [1993].BELOW: The mystery of Kole deepens in TEAM TITANS #11 [1993].

Marv Wolfman seemed to have something in mind when re-introducing Kole. When Phil Jimenez and Jeff Jensen took over the book, this plotline was swept under the rug. Kole did not appear again until the last issue of the series, where she was clumsily explained away as part of Monarch’s manipulations. This was done in a very subtle way, with Kole’s body seen hanging behind Monarch in his lair in Team Titans #24.

Phil Jimenez later commented on Kole in DC’s Message Boards online: “We were told to write that this second Kole, as well as nearly every other character we introduced in Team Titans, was a creation of Extant/Monarch, in order to lead the Titans down the path they would need to be super-powered assassins. So Kole was nothing more than an Extant-created construct.”

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Sources for this entry: DC Who’s Who Series, The Official Teen Titans Index [published by ICG in 1985], The New Titans Sourcebook [Mayfair Games, 1990], supplemented by titanstower.com

End of titanstower.com transmission. About this author: Bill Walko is an author and artist and the man behind titanstower.com. He's been reading and drawing comics since he was 5 years old and hasn't stopped since. Read more from this author